This week, we will teach the second of the eight beatitudes (beautiful attitudes), that describe the heart of a disciple (learner). And the key to really understanding Jesus is that the term blessed means to be fully satisfied IN GOD. (see word study on “blessed” for further biblical clarification).
This week, we’ll teach the second of the beatitudes – blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4). The way we’ve chosen to teach each beatitude, is through character sketches of people in the bible that help illustrate the point.
Last week, tax collectors who turned from their worldly ways toward Jesus, helped show that acknowledging our spiritual poverty is an important first step in realizing our need for Jesus. In this week’s lesson, Jesus goes
on to say that we’re not just spiritually poor, we’re spiritually broken. And those who mourn over that brokenness have hearts that are softening towards God.
There is no shortage of illustrations relating to mourning as the result of sin, but Jeremiah’s story portrays idea of Godly mourning (that which draws our hearts and focus to Him) quite vividly.
Jeremiah’s ministry spanned the reigns of five kings of Judah: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. For the narrative, we will focus on the story of God’s temple as a metaphor. Jeremiah wept when the Babylonians destroyed the temple. Not because of the temple itself, but what it represented. Solomon built the temple to be a beautiful display celebrating God’s presence on earth. But many kings later, as the result of the people’s sin, the temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. And it was Jeremiah who was sent as a prophet to warn the people of its eminent destruction, and he was there to see it happen.
The destruction of Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 33-36) and the glimmer of hope given to Jeremiah (Lamentations 3:17-24) portrays DEEP mourning mingled with an unshakable hope in God and His compassion (v.23)!
Handout: Blessed are those who mourn handout
Activity: Temple puzzle craft
Narrative:
Jesus continued with His sermon on the mount by saying, “blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
What does it mean to mourn? It means to be very sad. Even sad enough to cry.
Jesus told the people this to let them know that He understands that there are lots of sad things in the world because of sin. Many of God’s prophets understood this as well; they were sent by God to help people understand how bad sin is. Some people listened to the prophets and were sad about their own sin, but others did not.
God sent Jeremiah to minister to the people of Israel during the time of the last five kings of Judah. Why did the line of kings end? BECAUSE the PEOPLE SINNED
Jeremiah was called by God to warn the people of Jerusalem’s coming destruction that would occur by invaders from the north. This was because though God had been faithful to His promises, Israel had been rebellious and unfaithful to God. Instead of worshiping God, they turned their backs on Him to worship FALSE Gods.
When Jeremiah told the people it was wrong to turn their backs on God, they didn’t like his message, and so they were very mean to him. They were so mean to Jeremiah that he tried to stop telling people about God’s message. However, the word becomes like fire in his heart and he was unable to hold it in. But no matter how much Jeremiah warned the people, they refused to turn from their sinful ways.
So, because of the sin, God sent an army from the North to defeat Israel. It was a terrible battle. The
Babylonians, led by king Nebuchadnezzar, completely destroyed Jerusalem. They EVEN destroyed the temple! This was not just ANY temple. It was the same temple that Solomon had built hundreds of years earlier. And it was the ONLY temple on earth where God had chosen to come and dwell!
But even though God chose to come LIVE AMONG the Israelites, they rebelled against Him because of the sin in their hearts. (it is the same sin that is in EVERYONE’s heart who doesn’t put their faith in Jesus).
And Jeremiah watched it happen. That is why he is called the weeping prophet. Weeping means crying. Jeremiah CRIED and MOURNED because sin of the people had caused God to turn His back on them.
BUT even when things were as bad as they could be, God gave Jeremiah a message of hope (comfort). Here is another prophesy God gave Jeremiah:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are NOT completely destroyed, for his compassions (comfort) never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is ALL I NEED; therefore I will wait for him.”
And God also told Jeremiah, that although the physical temple was gone, there would come a day when God wouldn’t dwell in a temple made of stone, but in the hearts of people who put their faith in Him.
That’s what Jesus meant when he said that those who mourn WILL BE COMFORTED. They will be given new life in Jesus that will be a comfort forever!